Ozark Residents Can Pay for Bridge in 20 years, instead of 10 years

Ozark Drive residents who must pay a total of $343,000 for a new bridge can request up to 20 years to pay for the project. Without the request, they would have to pay for the project in 10 years.

Arnold City Clerk Diane Waller asked City Attorney Bob Sweeney and the newly installed City Council about the matter during the April 21 council meeting at City Hall, 2101 Jeffco Blvd.

Council members approved the bridge’s cost in a 6-2 vote during the April 7 council meeting. Then-councilmen Bob Lindsley and Jason Connell voted against the proposal, because they wanted to hear from all eight Ozark Drive residents who would be billed for the project.

Ozark Hills Park Properties would pay about $266,000 of the bridge’s cost, because it owned the largest amount of land affected by the bridge. Seven other property owners would each pay about $9,900 toward the bridge.

Property owners’ first bridge payment would be due with their scheduled property tax at the end of the year, City Administrator Matt Unrein said during a council meeting earlier this year.

During the April 21 council meeting, Waller said an Ozark resident requested 20 years to pay the money owed.

Waller did not identify the resident who requested the longer payment term.

“The actual bill (for this year) has not been sent out,” Waller said to council members. Ozark property owners must pay the annual amount due on the bill.

Payments for a 20 year-agreement would be lower than for a 10-year agreement.

The city ordinance allows for the 20-year term if low- to moderate-income residents use a portion of the property for housing, Sweeney said.

“The change is not mandatory but my direction is go that route,” Sweeney said to council members about granting the longer-term payments.

All property owners are eligible if one of them is eligible however each owner must ask for the 20-year term, Sweeney said.

Council members could change the law, at the May 5 council meeting, to grant the 20-year term to all the Ozark residents billed, Sweeney said. A change in the law must be on the council’s meeting agenda, he said.